


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (on hiatus)

by LeeGale



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Harry Potter Rewrite, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherin Hermione Granger, Slytherin Ron Weasley
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-11-07 03:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 17,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17953175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeGale/pseuds/LeeGale
Summary: Harry never got any information on the houses before he got sorted, so he was placed in Slytherin. The child had been abused, but he was finally safe. Or so he thought...This work is currently on hiatus as I edit it. It will be very different by the time I'm done. Sorry!





	1. Chapter 1

It was too much. There were too many people. Harry had thought that Diagon Alley and Platform 9¾ were crowded, but the sheer amount of people at Hogwarts threw him. He felt surrounded, crushed, unable to breath. That was, until a woman introduced herself. The other students fell quiet, and Harry was able to gather his thoughts. As the woman explained what the students had to do, Harry let his gaze wander over the others, their faces and forms blurry, because his glasses weren't quite right.  
The sudden opening of the grand doors in front of the group startled Harry, who instantly stood to attention. As the other students started to file into the Great Hall, Harry followed near the back. The room was breathtaking, with ceilings that looked like the night sky, tables of students wearing different colours, and a table with the most weirdly dressed adults the child had ever seen. A man, tall, thin and with a long beard, stepped forward, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. Harry felt an instant distrust for the man, but listened to what he had to say. The child let his emerald eyes drift over the teachers, until he caught sight of a particular one. The man had long, greasy, black hair and dark eyes, and although he was scowling, something told Harry to trust the man. The pair made eye contact, and the man's scowl deepened as he glared at the boy, making him flinch instinctively. Harry forced his attention back to the female teacher from before -Professor McGonagall, he recalled- as she started to call their names. One by one, the students had the old hat placed on their heads before going to their assigned houses. For some, the sorting took mere seconds, but for others, minutes. A sense of dread filled Harry.  
How does the hat know where to put them? He thought, What if he looks into my mind? He'll decided that I'm not worthy! He'll send me back to the Dursleys!  
Before the child could work himself up too much, his name was called. As the young half-Pakistani boy stepped forward, walking gingerly onto the stage the hat was on, whispers began. Professor McGonagall let the students speak for a moment, as Harry settled himself, before calling for silence.  
"Enough! Quieten down!" she called, sending an icy glare at the students. Harry felt himself shrink under the weight of the combined gazes of everyone in the room as McGonagall placed the hat gently on his head.  
"Ah yes." the hat said, "So much potential. You have witnessed great tragedy child, but with the right guidance, you could become an even greater wizard. What is your view?"  
"Please just let me stay, please just let me stay..." Harry repeated his mantra, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. He couldn't go back to the Dursleys. He still hadn't recovered from Vernon's last beating, and the thought of facing his relatives, the belt, the biting remarks about how he was a freak, all made Harry tremble slightly.  
"Ah. I see. Hmm... Yes. Better be... Slytherin!" the hat yelled, and Harry felt his legs shake as he stood, after McGonagall removed the hat. He could stay. He could stay.

Time skip brought to you by Dumbledore's weak chin.

Harry hadn't paid much attention during the rest of the ceremony. He was just glad he could stay. A few others joined the table, including the ginger boy and the brunette girl Harry had sat with on the train. Unfortunately, despite the festivities, Harry could not help but feel uncomfortable. The wounds from Vernon's last beating had opened slightly, and while Harry was used to the feel of blood, he still disliked it. Besides, he was worried that someone might notice where his robes were darker, where the blood soaked through. He knew that, if someone found out, Vernon would make his life so much worse when he returned. He couldn't risk it. Harry was pushing a piece of chicken about his plate, when a voice pulled him from his musings.  
"Everything okay Harry?" Ron asked, his mouth full of something unidentifiable. Harry, Hermione, and the blonde boy on Harry's right all shuddered at the disgusting sight.  
"O... Of course R... Ron. I... I'm just not hungry." Harry smiled reassuringly, and it seemed to be enough for the ginger.  
"Are you sure Harry? You've barely touched your food." Hermione frowned, and the blonde on Harry's right nodded in agreement.  
"I... I'm fine. J... Just tired." Harry forced a yawn to seem more believable, and Hermione brought it. The blonde boy -Draco Malfoy, he'd called himself- did not.  
"You should eat more if you're so tired. Not eating enough could lead to serious health problems." Draco emphasised, putting some extra mashed potatoes on Harry's plate. The shorter boy argued, but before anything else could happen, the old man from before -Dumbledore- cleared his throat, meaning the plates cleared themselves.  
"Alright students, time for bed. Your Heads of House and prefects shall lead you to your common rooms. Sleep well, and be ready for classes to begin!" the elder called, his eyes firmly on Harry. The boy shivered. The look reminded him of a conniving fox, watching and waiting to get his prey. Harry shook his thoughts away, standing as his fellow house mates did. A boy and a girl, a good few years older than Harry, stepped forward, introducing themselves as the Slytherin prefects. They led the students over to the man they said was their Head of House. The dark haired, dark eyed man that Harry felt he could trust. He introduced himself as Professor Snape.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry followed as Professor Snape and the prefects led the way to the Slytherin common room. It was in the dungeon, and Harry started shivering as soon as the group left the Great Hall. Hermione, Ron and Draco shared concerned looks when they noticed, but didn't say anything. The air was not only chilly in the dungeon, but also slightly damp, which made Harry's shivering get worse. A few other students noticed and voiced their concerns, but Snape answered for Harry.  
"He'll be fine. He's just putting it on." the professor spat, glaring at the desi boy with so much hatred that even a few other students flinched.  
"S... Sorry Sir." Harry whispered, shrinking into himself and looking down, but still the shivers wouldn't stop.  
"If you're so cold, Potter," Snape hissed the name, like it tasted vile on his tongue, "why don't you use a heating charm? I'm sure your father's family took great joy in teaching you such things, to be ahead in class."  
"M... My father's family? I... I lived with m... my mother's family Sir, n... not my father's." Harry stuttered, and something on Snape's face changed.  
"Your... Your mother's family?" he asked, his voice lacking the venom it had held before. Harry nodded cautiously, noting that multiple students were staring at them as they spoke, and that they had all stopped outside of a wall. Several of the first years that weren't staring were looking around in confusion.  
"I believe we'll need to talk, Potter." Snape's voice was monotonous as he turned his attention to the prefects, "Open the room."  
"Yes Sir." the female prefect -Amelia Johnson, Harry remembered- said before explaining how to enter the common room. She showed them and everyone entered. Harry went to stand near Draco, but a hand on his shoulder made him flinch. The hand -which belonged to Snape- was resting on one of Harry's open wounds. That one hadn't been caused by Vernon's belt however, but rather with a broken bottle. When Harry had returned from Diagon Alley, after Hagrid took him, he found that Vernon had been drinking and, well, he wasn't too happy to see the boy. Harry shook his head to clear his thought before looking up to Snape.  
"I need to speak with you. I'll tell you the rules after we've spoken, in my office." the professor said quietly, gently steering Harry to a room off to the side. The boy looked at Ron, Hermione and Draco, concerned. He hoped he hadn't done something wrong already. He was sure that, if he had, he'd be sent back. He couldn't be. He couldn't return to the pain, the hunger, the constant, bone deep cold... He was brought back to reality by a door shutting behind him. Without the boy's notice, Snape had led Harry into his office. The professor sat in the chair behind his desk, sighing as he did so. Harry stood awkwardly, awaiting instructions.  
"Sit down." Snape ordered, pinching the top of his nose. Harry did so, perching on the edge of one of the chairs in front of the desk. He hated that his back was to the door, his only escape not in view.  
"So... You live with your mother's family?" Snape asked, clearly uncomfortable.  
"We... Well, I live with my mo... mother's sister and h... her family." Harry stuttered, his heart hammering away inside his chest.  
"You're mother's sister? Petunia?" there was anger, hidden but there, in Snape's voice, and it made Harry flinch.  
"Ye... Yes?" the child replied, confused and scared.  
"Merlin..." Snape muttered before standing. He made his way around the desk, until he was stood next to Harry. The young boy shrank into his seat, sure the fury in the teacher's eyes was aimed at him. It wasn't. Snape pulled out his wand, and Harry's eyes widened. He curled in on himself. His eyes shut as he waited for the feeling of the wand cracking against his back...  
Snape muttered a quiet spell, but Harry didn't feel any pain. He stayed still though, worried that if he moved, the pain would come.  
"Potter. Stand up." Snape ordered, and Harry was on his feet in an instant. Snape gasped...


	3. Chapter 3

The spell Snape had cast had been one to remove glamours, and that's what it did. But what was revealed shocked the teacher... When Harry stood, Snape could see just how much his robes swallowed his small frame. His cheeks were gaunt, there was a deep cut -only partially healed- running from next to his eyebrow to near his chin, and his left eye was badly bruised. Something inside of Snape snapped when he saw Harry's emerald eyes, so like his mother's, looking so scared.  
"P... Please d... don't tell anyone. I... If Uncle Vernon finds out a... anyone else knows..." the child stuttered, his breath catching in his throat. Vernon couldn't find out. If he did... Harry feared for his life.  
"What Potter? What would he do?" Snape asked quietly, frowning.  
"He... I... If I say anything, he... I..." Harry couldn't finish speaking, fear gripping his heart and blocking his throat. Snape sighed, crouching so he was exactly eye level with the child. He could only imagine what the boy had been through, but knowing Petunia, it wasn't anything good.  
"I believe we'll have to speak to the Headmaster." Snape told Harry, who shook his head.  
"N... No! Please! He... If Uncle finds out..." the desi boy started to panic, but he was cut off.  
"He won't be able to hurt you ever again Harry. You won't have to go back there. Never." Snape replied firmly, and something in Harry wanted to believe him. But he couldn't. He couldn't hope to be free, they would always find him.  
"B... But-" Harry started, but he was again cut off, this time by a knock at the door. The child flinched before standing to attention, while Snape stood and watched him. He couldn't help but wonder why Harry seemed so on edge, what had happened to cause it. He shook himself out of his thoughts, cast a glamour on Harry for his privacy, and turned to the door.  
"Come in." he ordered, and the door was opened by Amelia Johnson. She glanced at Harry briefly before focusing on Snape.  
"We have settled all of the other students. Would you like me to settle Mister Potter, Sir?" she asked, and Snape shook his head.  
"No. I'm taking him to the Headmaster, so make sure everyone behaves." he ordered, gently placing a hand on Harry's shoulder (not the injured one this time) and leading him towards the door. Harry let the professor lead him out of the dungeon, through long hallways, up moving stairs, and to a statue. The child stared at the statue in awe, amazed by it's sheer size. A voice pulled him out of his musings.  
"Lemon drops." Snape sighed, looking down at Harry before explaining, "Dumbledore is addicted to sweets. The old fo- man always uses something of the sorts as his password."   
Harry nodded in understanding, but didn't speak. He watched, amazed, as the statue moved and a staircase was revealed. Snape led him up the stairs, his hand a calming constant on Harry's shoulder. The duo entered a large, circular office, with Dumbledore sat behind a dark, wooden desk.  
"Severus! Harry! How may I help you both?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling as he stared at Harry. The child shivered and felt the urge to hide behind Snape, who noticed the shiver and glared at the Headmaster.  
"How could you leave this child with Petunia?" Snape spat, his voice icy. Dumbledore froze, his smile becoming forced.  
"Harry needed to be with her. The blood protection spell-" he was cut off.  
"Would have been useless if Petunia and her family had killed him!" Snape snarled and Harry blinked in surprise. He knew that the Dursleys could, and possibly would, have killed him, but he didn't expect anyone else (let alone an adult!) to notice.  
"Now Severus, the child was perfectly safe, I-" Dumbledore cut himself off this time, unable to finish his lie once Snape removed Harry's glamour. Harry shrank under the headmaster's intense gaze, uncomfortable. Snape stepped in front of the boy, protecting him from Dumbledore's view.  
"Does he look like he was 'safe'?" Snape snapped, his eyes throwing daggers at his superior.  
"I... He..." Dumbledore trailed off, clearly lost for words.  
"I'm going to take care of young Potter, until we are able to find a suitable carer for him. Tomorrow, I shall take him to his family vault, and we shall look at the will his parents left." Snape spoke calmly, for the first time since the start of the exchange.  
"But... Your lessons... And the blood protection spell..." Dumbledore stumbled over his excuses, but Snape wasn't having it.  
"You can find a replacement for the day. And he'll be safe; I'll protect him while he's in my care, and it's likely that whomever his parents decided to leave him with is a witch or wizard, so he's safe with them." Snape's voice was strict, and he was shaking with barely concealed rage, "We'll be going now."  
Snape span around, gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, and started to lead him towards the door. Dumbledore tried to call out, tried to tell Snape no, but the professor just threw him a withering glare over his shoulder.  
"You do NOT get to argue, not when you so obviously went against the Potters' wishes, not when you put a child in a CLEARLY abusive household. Do not even think about it." Snape growled. Then, he and Harry left.


	4. Chapter 4

Down the stairs. Past the statue. Along the hall. That's how far Snape and Harry got before the child spoke up.  
"Th... Thank you Sir, b... but you didn't need to s... stand up for me." he whispered, and Snape looked down at him.  
"What makes you say that?" the professor asked quietly.  
"I... I'm used to the Dursleys. The... There's nothing they c... could do that they haven't before. B... but you could lose your job, b... because you stood up for me."  Harry replied shyly, but the boy's admission shattered Snape's (cold, small, dark) heart. The thought that someone so young and small was more worried about a man he'd just met than his own well-being... And the fact he was used to unknown levels of abuse, malnutrition and pain? It made Snape feel much more than he had in a long time. He stopped and crouched in front of the child.  
"You should never have had to live with those... those monsters. I have no idea what you've been through, but I can tell it wasn't anything good. It was his fault you were put there, so I had to say something. And I won't lose my job; I'm the only good potions master he knows." Snape told the child firmly, completely serious.  
"I... Thank you." Harry smiled slightly, and although it was small and a little watery, it made Snape's heart want to explode from cuteness.  
"Come now. We should get back to the dorms." the dark-eyed man stood, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips. Harry nodded and started to walk, but he paused when he realized Snape wasn't following.  
"P... Professor?" he called, and Snape shook himself from his thoughts before catching up with him.  
"Apologizes. I was thinking." he explained, and the pair kept walking.

Time skip brought to you by Draco's abandonment issues.

Later that night, after Snape had explained the rules to Harry, and after they'd discussed their plans for the next day, the child entered the common room. As soon as he did, he was jumped upon (figuratively, the small boy would be crushed if anything bigger than a pug puppy jumped on him) by a newly familiar black girl, along with her ginger and blonde friends.  
"Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly, checking Harry over for any signs of discomfort.  
"I... Uh... I'm fine. Professor Snape just n... needed to ask me a few questions." Harry answered, shrinking under the gazes of the other first years.  
"Are you sure? He seemed kinda... freaked out by the fact you live with your aunt." Ron pressed, frowning. Harry felt overwhelmed by the concern the others felt for him, and was only able to able to produce vague noises. Draco tutted and pulled on Hermione and Ron's ears.  
"You two are overwhelming him. Give Harry some space." he told the others before turning to Harry, "Ron and I saved you a bed, the one between ours. We also moved your luggage to the end of it, so it's ready for you to unpack when you want."  
"Y... You didn't need to do that. B... But thank you. B... Both of you." Harry smiled slightly at the taller boys.  
"We know. But if we didn't, someone else would have taken that bed." Ron butted in, grinning. Draco rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but, when he noticed that Harry's smile had grown, decided against it.  
"Why don't you go unpack Harry?" Hermione suggested, and Harry nodded. A thought then struck him, and he frowned.  
"Uh... Ron, Draco c... could one of you show me wh... where the dorms are? And where th... the bathrooms are?" he asked shyly, biting his lip.  
"Of course. It's this way." Draco replied as he started to walk towards the dorms. Harry followed, shivering as he went. Ron and Hermione watched the pair go, before settling on one of the leather couches. As Draco and Harry walked, the blue eyed boy noticed just how badly his shorter companion was shivering, and frowned.  
"Are you cold Harry?" Draco asked, silently cursing himself for asking such a stupid question.  
"I... I'll be fine. It... It'll just take t... time for me to adjust." Harry replied, sending Draco what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Draco frowned, but before he could say anything, the pair arrived at the dorms.  
"We're here." he said, leading Harry over to a bed, "This is your one."  
"Thank you D... Draco." Harry smiled at the other boy, causing Draco's heart to stutter. Harry was just too cute, with his emerald eyes sparkling and a small dimple on his cheek.  
"It's no problem. The bathrooms are through that door." Draco gestured towards a dark wood door, "I'll leave you to unpack."  
"Th... Thank you again!" Harry called, and Draco smiled at him before he left. Once he was alone, Harry set about unpacking. He emptied his case, refolded all of his clothes, put them in his draws, and was quick to pack away his school supplies. When he finished, the desi boy smiled and went to join his new companions in the common room...


	5. Chapter 5

Dark. Pain. Hunger.  
"Freak."  
The cupboard. The belt. Dog chains.  
"Useless."   
Bottles. Pans. Pain.

Harry woke with a start, his throat burning from screaming so much. He couldn't breath. He couldn't see. Why was it so dark? His heart was pounding in his chest, blood rushing through his head. A hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched, curling into himself.  
"P... Please, don't hurt me. N... Not any more. I... I'm sorry. P... Please..." Harry whimpered, waiting for the blow. A smooth voice, so soft, so different from any Harry was used to, cut through the cloud his nightmare had left.  
"Harry, it's okay. You're safe. No one wants to hurt you. You're at Hogwarts. You're safe." Draco murmured softly, running a calming hand over Harry's back. The younger boy shuddered before sobbing and pitching forward, into Draco's chest. The blond froze before wrapping his arms around Harry, hugging him close. He said something to someone, but Harry wasn't paying attention, more focused on calming himself and listening to Draco's heartbeat. He felt Draco slowly rock him back and forth as he whispered softly in his ear.  
"It's okay Harry. You're safe. I've got you. Ron's gone to get Professor Snape, alright? He'll help you. He'll give you something to help you sleep better." Draco kept rocking, the motions and his words, along with his heartbeat, calming Harry. The desi boy couldn't stop crying, but he did eventually stop sobbing. Silent tears cascaded down his face, soaking into Draco's silk night shirt. The older boy just let Harry nuzzle into him as he continued to whisper soothing words. Soon, another voice reached Harry's ears.  
"Potter? Malfoy? What seems to be the matter?" Snape questioned, the smallest hint of worry in his tone.  
"Harry had a nightmare Sir. A rather bad one." Draco replied without stopping his ministrations. Harry nuzzled closer to Draco, comforted by the other boy's warmth.  
"I see. Potter, if you would let Malfoy go, I will take you to Madam Pomfrey. She will provide you with a calming draught and some dreamless sleep." Snape said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder softly. The child just got closer to Draco.  
"Please... D... Draco. Don't leave m... me." he mumbled, squeezing the blonde as tightly as he could.  
"I... Professor? Would it be alright if I accompanied you and Harry to Madam Pomfrey?" Draco asked, unable to pull himself from Harry when he seemed so vulnerable.  
"Well, it seems Potter won't let go of you any time soon, so it is the only option." Snape sighed deeply, "Potter, Malfoy will come too, so you can let go of him."  
Harry slowly pulled away from Draco, blushing slightly.  
"S... Sorry. I don't w... want to cause any trouble. Y... You don't need to come, i... if you don't want to." he stammered, embarrassed by his actions and sure he'd just pushed away one of his first chances of friendship.  
"I'm coming Harry. It's no trouble at all." Draco retorted, smiling slightly, reassuringly, at the boy in his arms. Harry looked into Draco's eyes, searching for any hint of deception, but when he found none, he extracted himself from his grip.  
"Th... Thank you..." he muttered, cheeks still aflame.  
"It's nothing." Draco replied, climbing off of Harry's bed and passing him a dressing gown, "You seem to get cold easily, so this might help. And put your slippers on."  
Once Harry had dressed, Draco grasped his hand gently, causing the shorter child to blush again.  
"Alright children, let's go. The rest of you, bed. Now." Snape ordered, and the students scrambled under their covers. Harry, Draco and Snape left the dorm, and started on their way to the infirmary...

Time skip brought to you by Wizard's Chess.

Once the trio entered the infirmary, Snape called to Madam Pomfrey. In an instant, the lady was out of her office.  
"Yes Severus? What- Why did you bring two students? Are they hurt?" she asked, rushing over to the only other people in the room.  
"Potter woke from a nightmare, and Malfoy here us his... moral support. But, I do believe we'll have to check Potter over for injuries." Snape replied, and Draco cocked his head in confusion.  
"Injuries? Harry isn't hurt." he muttered, and Harry flinched. He didn't want anyone else to know, not yet.  
"Yes. I... I believe Potter may have been abused. Poppy, if you would please..." Snape sighed, and the stricken nurse preformed a glamour removing charm. The effect was instantaneous; Snape looked away in disgust, Draco gaped in horror, and Pomfrey felt everything in her scream to hurt whoever left such a small child so malnourished. Harry shrank under Draco and Pomfrey's gazes, feeling small and broken. He wanted to run away from their horror. To run, and run, and run...


	6. Chapter 6

Pomfrey was the first to snap out of it.  
"Oh child... Come, sit on this bed. I must examine you." she said, directing Harry to a near by bed. Harry tried to do as he was told, but he was too short to climb onto the bed. He'd had the same problem earlier that night, when he went to bed, but the beds in the dorm were shorter than the infirmary beds.  
"I... I can't." he explained shyly, embarrassed. Why was it he could climb the highest trees, but could not climb a simple bed?  
"That's quiet alright, little one, let me just..." Pomfrey carefully lifted the child onto the bed, careful not to jostle his small frame too much. Once Harry was settled, she took out her wand and ran a quick diagnostics charm.   
"Those monsters..." she whispered under her breath, fury running through her veins as she read through the too long list the charm had provided. Draco moved closer to Harry and grasped his hand, a reassuring smile playing at his lips. He then focused on Pomfrey.  
"How bad is it?" he asked softly, squeezing Harry's much smaller hand.  
"Too bad for you to know, child..." Pomfrey sighed, a deep frown marring her features.  
"Poppy, how bad?" Snape pressed, and the nursed sighed before passing him her wand. The professor inhaled sharply once he had read the list.  
"And that doesn't included any injuries we can't see..." Pomfrey's frown deepened, "Harry, I hate to ask this but... Could you please remove your top?"  
"Wh... What? Why?" Harry stiffened, his eyes wide in fear.  
"If you have any other injuries, I will need to clean them, so they don't get infected." Pomfrey spoke softly, reassuringly, but Harry just shook his head.  
"Harry, please. It'll make you feel better." Draco said quietly, but the desi boy was stubborn. He shook his head again. With a sigh, Snape kneeled down in from of him.  
"Harry. No one is going to judge, blame or hate you for being hurt. It wasn't your fault, and we just want to help you. We won't hurt you." he told the child earnestly, looking into his scared eyed.  
"B... But..." Harry couldn't finish, remembering all the times Vernon had forced his clothes from his body, ignoring his tears and pain, but rather reveling in them.  
"Please Harry. We... I need to help you. We won't hurt you." Snape spoke softly, and something about him made Harry trust his words.  
"P... Promise?" Harry whispered, his green eyes piecing into Snape's heart.  
"I promise." the professor said firmly, and Harry nodded. He gingerly grasped the edge of his night shirt and pulled, taking the shirt off slowly. It hurt to move too much and too quickly, but Harry was trying. Each inch of skin revealed made the blood of each of the other's in the room boil. Once Harry had finally stripped himself of the article of clothing, the room was deathly silent.  
"I... Oh child..." Pomfrey murmured, shock and anger griping her heart. Countless scars littered the child's chest, creating a broken picture. Some of them were newer, whereas others were at least a few years old. Snape then noticed something that made him frown deepen.  
"Harry... Is that a bruise on your hip? In the shape of a thumb?" he asked softly.  
"I... Yes." Harry muttered, looking down in shame.  
"Did... Did someone rape you?" Snape pressed gently, and Harry nodded minutely, "Who?"  
"M... My uncle." the child whispered, tears of shame gathering in his eyes. Snape instantly noticed and reacted quickly.  
"Don't cry Harry, it's okay. There's no need to be embarrassed; your uncle took advantage of you, and he's at fault. No one blames you." he spoke softly, and the child sobbed. He leaned forward, falling into Snape, who instantly hugged him close.  
"I've got you, you're safe. He can't hurt you anymore." Snape murmured in the child's ear. He started to rub Harry's back soothingly, but stopped when he touched something warm and wet.  
"Poppy? Could you look at Harry's back please?" he asked, and the nurse did so. She gasped loudly and Harry hid his face in Snape's shoulder.  
"Oh Harry... I need to clean and close your wounds. It'll just be a few simple spells, but I need you to let go of Severus first, alright?" Pomfrey explained, feeling relieved when Harry let go without complaint. The nurse was quick to preform the spells, and expended some extra power to heal any she couldn't see (including some internal bruising).  
"Now, I don't wish to alarm you, but you have a few bones that have broken and healed incorrectly. I'm going to need to break them and reset them. It'll hurt, but it'll only take a couple of days to heal, if I can break them now. Would that be alright with you?" she spoke gently, expecting the child to argue, to fight, but he did not.  
"I... If you do, w... will I feel better?" Harry asked cautiously, frowning slightly.  
"Of course. I'd never hurt anyone, especially a child, without it being for a better outcome." Pomfrey replied, smiling at the small boy, who had grasped both Snape's and Draco's hands.  
"I... Alright." Harry sighed, "Wh... What do you need m... me to do?"  
"Please lie down on the bed, there's a poppet." Pomfrey smiled brightly when Harry did as he was asked, "Thank you. Severus, please go get a pain numbing potion. Mister Malfoy, you will have to wait here until your Head of House returns, then you must be off to bed."  
"Can't I stay with Harry? Please?" Draco begged. Pomfrey and Snape opened their mouths to refuse, but a small voice stopped them.  
"P... Please let Draco stay. H... He keeps me calm." Harry looked at the adults with pleading, and neither could refuse him.  
"... Oh alright. But you had best sleep on one of the other beds, and wake up early enough to return to your dorm to change before breakfast." Pomfrey rolled her eyes fondly, a smile threatening to over take her when the young boys grinned. It was good to see Harry, who had undoubtedly had little to smile about growing up, look happy. Snape took the moment of distraction to go collect the potion Pomfrey had requested.  
"So Harry... Do you wish to talk about what caused your injuries, or rather who?" Pomfrey asked after a moments of silence. The boy shook his head, and Pomfrey nodded in understanding.  
"That's quite alright, little one, you don't need to tonight. Is there anything you want to talk about? Any hobbies?" she questioned politely.  
"I d... don't have any hobbies. Th... The Dursleys wouldn't let me." Harry murmured, causing Pomfrey's and Draco's hearts to break. The poor child.  
"Well... Do you have any questions about the Wizarding World?" Pomfrey decided to change the subject quickly, which everyone was grateful for.  
"Y... Yes. What's a he... heating charm?" Harry questioned, eyes sparkling in curiosity.  
"It's a charm that can warm whoever the caster chooses, if they are close enough together." Pomfrey explained, but before she could say more, Snape returned.  
"Here's the potion. Mister Malfoy, you and I are going to stand outside while Madam Pomfrey takes care of Harry." he said, passing a bottle over to Pomfrey. Draco tried to argue, but Snape just escorted him out.  
"Here Harry, drink this." Pomfrey passed the bottle to Harry, "It'll numb the pain."  
Harry did as he was asked, not even wincing at the foul taste of the potion.  
"Alright. I'll start now. On the count of three. One. Two. Three!"


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Harry awoke before the sun had even risen. The previous night, after Pomfrey had broken and reset his bones (with minimum discomfort, to Pomfrey's surprise. Most children scream when she has to break their bones, even with a numbing potion, but Harry didn't so much as flinch), Harry spoke with Draco for a while, before both drifting off to sleep. But not before Harry had been given a dreamless sleep. As the child lay on the bed, vaguely aching where his bones were healing and listening to the morning birds, he thought. He couldn't believe all that had happened to him, from finding out he was a wizard like his parents, to finally being free of the Dursleys. He lay there, thinking, until Professor Snape quietly entered the room. He carefully sat up, which startled the teacher.  
"Harry? Why are you awake?" Snape asked, stepping towards the child.  
"I al... always wake up early." Harry replied simply, causing Snape to shake his head slightly.  
"If you say so. I must take Malfoy back to the dorms, so he can get ready for the day, but I shall return with some clothes for you." the wizard informed the child, who nodded, before going to wake Draco. The blond and the professor left soon after, leaving Harry to his thoughts.

Time skip brought to you by the Hogwarts Express.

Diagon Alley was much less crowded than it had been the last time Harry was there. It made the walk to Gringott's much quicker, even if Harry had to use crutches. Snape was careful to make sure no one jostled or got too close to the boy, send a deathly glare to all who might consider talking to 'the boy who lived'. The pair got to the bank without any problems, and entered quickly. Snape led Harry to an official looking goblin, who didn't look up from his scroll.  
"Name?" he asked, his voice grating on Snape's ear.  
"We're here to see the Potter family vault. This is Harry Potter, heir to the Potter estate, and I am Severus Snape, his temporary guardian." the wizard explained. The goblin examined his scroll.  
"We were not informed of the change to Heir Potter's guardianship." he sounded unimpressed, and Snape glared. Before the teacher could reply, in a surely angry way, he was cut off.  
"A... Apologises. My previous g... guardianship was... not preferable. P... Professor Snape only became my guardian last night, a... and as he said, it is temporary. We need to a... access my parents' will, so we can f... find whoever they decided to leave me with." Harry explained quietly, smiling shyly at the goblin. The wizened, old creature blinked in surprise.  
"You are... rather polite, for a wizard child." he said, unsure.  
"Im... Impoliteness led to the belt, w... with my previous guardians." Harry shrugged, and his nonchalance broke Snape and the goblin's hearts.  
"I... I see. Follow me, young heir." the goblin left his box, standing next to the child before leading him over to a door. Snape and Harry followed the goblin through the door, down winding hallways, and to a vault.  
"This is your family vault, Heir Potter." the goblin explained, opening the door. Inside, the trio went. Gold, diamonds and other precious materials shimmered in the light, glittering in Harry's eyes.  
"Th... This is my family's?" the boy questioned, breathless.  
"Of course. The Potter's are an old and noble household, dating back thousands of years. This is just a small part of the collection your ancestors amounted." the goblin explained, leading the pair over to a desk with a single piece of paper on it, "Here's the will."  
"Th... Thank you... Apologises, but I... I don't think you told us y... your name." Harry carefully picked up the will, passing it to Snape.  
"My name? You want to know my name?" the goblin asked, surprised. Rarely did a wizard ask for a goblin's name, and it was even rarer for a child to do so.  
"Ye... Yes. It's polite." Harry replied, his tone suggesting it was obvious.  
"I... It's Griphook." the goblin still felt confused and surprised, but a small inkling of fondness pulled at him too.  
"Th... Thank you Griphook. Professor Snape? C... Could you please read th... the will? Out loud?" Harry smiled brightly at his guardian.   
"Of course." Snape replied, opening the scroll before reading,  
"To whom it may concern,  
All property belonging to the Potter household shall go to Heir Harry Potter. If Lord and Lady Potter die before Master Potter is of age, his potential guardians are:  
•Sirius Black, Master Potter's godfather.  
•Remus Lupin, if Black is unable to (or if Lupin and Black share custody).  
•Minerva McGonagall, if neither are available.  
Or  
•Whoever is Master Potter's Head of House, if he is not placed with one of the above before he joins Hogwarts, or if his parents do not die before then.  
Under no circumstance is Master Potter to be placed with Petunia Dursley, Lady Potter's sister, and her family.  
Regards, the Potter Estate."  
"So... S... Since you are my Head of House, P... Professor, that makes you my guardian." Harry assessed, tapping the handle of his crutches.  
"It seems so... Griphook, we shall be taking the will. Is there anything you believe Harry may need?" Snape asked, looking at the short creature (who was somehow taller than Harry).  
"The heir might like the letter his parents left him, for in case they died whilst he was young. Heir Potter, would that make you happy?" Griphook answered, before, once Harry nodded, collecting the letter in question from one of the draws of the desk.  
"Th... Thank you again Griphook." Harry smiled.  
"It's no problem, young heir. No problem at all."


	8. Chapter 8

Snape had to carry Harry back to his dorm that night, as the child had fallen asleep. After the pair had finished at Gringott's, they had spent the day exploring the wizarding side of London, visiting a variety of shops and establishments. As they did so, Snape learnt small things about Harry, such as his habit of only eating very little, very plain food (which, Snape reasoned, made sense; it was likely that the Dursleys had starved the boy, so too much or too rich food would make him ill), and his disposition for continuously apologizing. Snape sighed, making sure to remember everything he could that could be an effect of Harry's abuse, as he entered the Slytherin common room. In an instant, he was surrounded by three worried first years. All spoke over each other, and Snape scowled.  
"Enough! Potter will be fine, he's just tired at the moment. Now, if you three don't quieten down, I'll give you all detention." he snapped, but no one could take him seriously whilst he was cradling Harry. Speaking of, as soon as he heard talking, the child had awoken.  
"Dr... Draco? Hermione? R... Ron?" he asked tiredly tilting his head from it's position, on Snape's shoulder, to see his friends.  
"You must be tired Harry. Why don't we go get you dressed, then you can sleep, alright?" Hermione questioned softly.  
"Don't w... wanna sleep. Nightmares..." Harry yawned cutely, ruining his argument.  
"I can give you some dreamless sleep. Go change, then return here." Snape ordered, gently placing the child on his feet. Harry instantly stumbled, but, thankfully, he fell into Draco, who caught him effortlessly. The blond led the semiconscious child to the dorms, chattering away about his first day in classes. Snape watched the pair fondly for a moment before looking down at the remaining pair.  
"What do you two want?" he snapped.  
"Draco won't tell us why Harry wasn't in class. Could you please, Professor?" Hermione tilted her head, her chocolate eyes gleaming in curiosity.  
"That is none of your business, Miss Granger. Now, I must collect a potion from my office. Behave!" Snape said firmly, glaring slightly at the black girl. He then turned and left for his office...

Time skip brought to you by a dancing Draco.

Many hours later, once all children were in bed, along with many of the teachers, one Professor Snape marched to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Once there, Snape forced his way in, much to the Head's surprise.  
"Severus! What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked, faking calm as Snape stared him down.  
"I am now Harry Potter's official guardian. But you must have known that. After all, you're the only one who ever read the Potter's will. Including the section that explicitly stated that Harry was NOT to be put with the Dursleys." the potions master growled, and Dumbledore flinched like he'd been slapped.  
"N... Now, now Severus. Why don't you just take a moment to calm down?" the cowardly old nan suggested.  
"Calm down? How can I calm down when I've seen this?!?!" Snape spat, pulling his memories of Harry after his nightmare, including what he saw in the infirmary, from his head. He then grabbed Dumbledore's beard and yanked, pulling his superior over his desk and to his pensive. Severus thrust the memories into the dish, then forced Dumbledore's head in after. He held the other man's head down for five minutes before pulling him up roughly.  
"Do you see why I'm angry?" Snape hissed, fury dancing in his dark eyes.  
"I... I had no idea..." Dumbledore spluttered, his own eyes wide in terror. Nothing was scarier than an angry parent, and, as of that morning, that was what Snape was. Harry's irrevocably pissed of father.  
"Of course you didn't. Now, I'm aware you used money from the Potter vault to pay the Dursleys off. You shall repay all of that money back into Harry's vault, right from your own. And I have a few other things we need to discuss..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister's cat recently had kittens, and our mum decided to name one of them Nagini because she hisses a lot. She's adorable.

When Harry woke the next morning, he felt terrible. His head was stuffy, his nose kept running, and he felt sick to his stomach. He took a moment to breath, trying to settle his nausea, before sitting up right. A wave of dizziness hit the boy, and he fell back onto his pillows. He groaned as a headache started to form behind his eyes.  
"Harry?" Draco called sleepily from his bed.  
"S... Sorry, I didn't m... mean to wake you." Harry whispered back, voice scratchy. He heard the sound of fabric rustling. Soon after, his bed curtains were opened and a blonde head poked through.  
"I was already awake. Are you alright? You seem ill." Draco perched on the edge of Harry's bed carefully, smiling at his shorter friend.  
"It... It's just a cold." Harry rasped, but he knew it was a lie. It never was 'just a cold' with him. He sneezed suddenly, and it was so cute Draco's heart seized.  
"Are you sure? You're really pale..." Draco frowned before reaching over and feeling Harry's forehead, "You're overheating! We should take you to Madam Pomfrey."  
"I... I'm fine, I-" Harry cut himself off with another sneeze, followed by a dizzy spell that sent him swaying onto his side.  
"I'm taking you to the infirmary." Draco said firmly, helping Harry to put on some slippers and a dressing gown. He also cast a quick heating charm on the desi boy, once he noticed that Harry was shivering. Before either boy could do anymore however, a black boy poked his head through Harry's curtains.  
"Where are you two off to? It's the middle of the night." he asked, opening the curtains completely.  
"Harry's sick. I'm just taking him to the infirmary." Draco replied stiffly, helping Harry to his feet. Harry was still slightly unsteady, but he no longer needed crutches, although Draco did have to support him.  
"Ah, so you're Harry. I'm Baise." the black boy smiled, causing Draco to scowl slightly. He didn't want Baise, who he'd befriended during Potions (which Dumbledore himself had had to cover), to take Harry from him.  
"P... Pleasure to- ACHOO!" Harry tried to greet Baise, but sneezed before he could finish.  
"Well, we had better get going. After all, Harry needs to see Madam Pomfrey." Draco forced a smile on his face, but that dropped when Harry nearly fell over. He caught the boy and helped him upright with a frown.  
"I'll help you take him." Baise spoke up, grasping Harry's left arm gently. Although uncertain about the other boy, Draco smiled gratefully; he could not have gotten Harry to the infirmary on his own, unless the small child had let him carry him. The trio set off, leaving the dungeons for the infirmary.

Time skip brought to you by Draco's silk dressing gown.

"Well, it seems you have a pretty bad cold, little one." Pomfrey explained, setting her wand aside.  
"A cold? So he'll be alright?" Draco asked hopefully.  
"Yes, with some bed rest. Since you have a... naturally weak immune system Harry, even the smallest germ can make you ill, and it'll affect you worse than it would most." Pomfrey sighed deeply before collecting a potion from a cabinet, "This will reduce the symptoms and speed up the healing process."  
Harry took the potion and downed it silently, unhesitatingly.  
"How long will he have to be in here for?" Snape, who the trio of boys had ran into on their way, pressed, frowning.  
"A day, at least. Maybe two or so, considering the state of his immune system..." Pomfrey replied, taking the now empty potions bottle from Harry and replacing it with a glass of water.  
"I... I'll miss more classes?" Harry asked hesitantly.  
"I'm afraid so poppet. But don't worry, you'll be as right as rain soon enough." Pomfrey smiled brightly.  
"If you want to keep up whilst here, I'll bring your books to read." Snape suggested encouragingly.  
"I c... can't read." Harry sighed despondently, "My eyes are too blurry."  
"Your eyes dear? Are your glasses not the right kind?" Pomfrey questioned, placing a sick bowl on the drawers next to Harry.  
"I... I don't know. Aunt P... Petunia got these from a ch... charity bin." Harry rasped before sipping on his water.  
"A charity bin? What's that?" all of the others in the room asked.  
"It... It's something people p... put stuff they don't want in. Other people c... can take that stuff home." Harry explained, setting his glass off to the side.  
"They didn't even bother to get you proper glasses?" Snape growled, and although he knew that anger was aimed at the Dursleys, Harry flinched.  
"Severus! Calm down, you're scaring the poor child." Pomfrey scolded, causing Snape to wince. He sighed before gently sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to scare you." Snape said softly, placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder.  
"I... It's fine." Harry replied stiffly, embarrassed by his reaction. He sneezed suddenly, and Pomfrey couldn't help but coo.  
"You're adorable, little one." she smiled, to which Snape and Draco agreed (Baise had left as soon as he'd helped drop Harry off in the infirmary). Harry blushed brightly, hiding his face in his knees, as Snape checked the time.  
"Unfortunately, I believe Malfoy and I will have to leave soon." the professor sighed, pouting slightly, "Breakfast will be starting in half an hour, and we both need to dress for the day ahead."  
Harry peaked out from behind his knees.  
"Re... Really? It's a... already morning?" he asked quietly, sniffling slightly.  
"I'm afraid so Harry. I'll come see you when I can, alright?" Snape replied, standing and stretching.  
"O... Okay." Harry forced a smile, upset he was missing classes again.  
"If you'd like, and if it's allowed, I'll visit later? And, if possible, I'll bring Ron and Hermione." Draco suggested, and this time Harry's smile was real.  
"I... I'd love that. Th... Thank you Draco. Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note, Harry's reaction to his abuse is loosely based on how I reacted to years of bullying and how my friend acts now she is out of an abusive situation.

Harry slept most of the morning, only waking when Pomfrey forced him to take his cold potion and when a wizard optician that the nurse had called arrived. The optician had preformed a few tests and spells before leaving with the promise of having Harry's new glasses to him by the end of the week. He'd also let Harry decided the kind of frames he wanted, and the child was excited; he couldn't wait to be able to see clearly. At lunchtime, however, Harry was wide awake and happily chatting to his trio of friends, along with Baise and a girl called Pansy that the others had befriended.   
"Are you sure you're feeling better Harry?" Draco triple checked, softly stroking Harry's hand as he sat on the side of his bed.  
"Yes Draco. I've told you so already." Harry laughed, and Draco blinked in surprise, causing Harry to tilt his head, "What? Is something wrong?"  
"You... You didn't stutter..." Draco trailed off, confused.  
"I'm not scared of you guys; I know I'm safe, so I'm not nervous, so I'm not stuttering." Harry explained with a shrug, making everyone in the room (the five children, plus Snape and Pomfrey) have their hearts fill with fondness for the small boy.  
"Really? You stutter because you're nervous?" Hermione questioned, curious.  
"Yes, but I'm not nervous now. None of you want to hurt me." Harry smiled at the black girl, who grinned back. Draco clasped Harry's hand just a little tighter.  
"How'd you know none of us want to hurt you? I mean, Baise, Draco and I all grew up with followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as parents. We could be tricking you into liking us, just waiting for the perfect time to strike." Pansy joked, pulling out a dagger and twirling it between her fingers.  
"Can't you guys also sense other people's emotions?" Harry asked, tilting his head in endearing confusion.  
"You can sense people's emotions?" Snape questioned in surprise, surprise that grew when Harry nodded, "That's a very unique gift Harry. Very few wizards can do that."  
"Really? Then... Why can I do it?" Harry replied, frowning slightly.  
"Because your an extremely powerful wizard Harry, even though you're quite young still." Pomfrey said, smiling and passing him a bottle of his cold potion. Harry downed it quickly before passing the bottle back, much to Ron's disgust.  
"How can you drink that like it's nothing? It smells horrid." the ginger scrunched up his nose to emphasis his point.  
"I've had things that taste -and smell- worse." Harry replied simply, leaning his head onto Draco's shoulder. In honesty, the potions were a miracle; they stopped Harry feeling bad enough for him to be able to think, but they wore off quickly and made him tired. He snuggled closer to Draco, who let go of his hand to hug him close, as he slowly nodded off...

Snape watched as Draco tried to lie Harry onto his bed properly, only for the desi boy to hug him tighter and pull him down with him. The teacher had to cover his fond chuckle with a fake cough, although no one believed it.  
"I don't think he's going to let go of you any time soon Mister Malfoy." Pomfrey teased with a smile as Draco blushed and held Harry tightly, "I guess you'll have stay here until he wakes up."  
"I think I can do that." Draco replied with a smile as he carefully lay on the bed with Harry in his arms. The pair were hugging each other tightly, and something told Snape that Harry wouldn't need a dreamless sleep, not if Draco was with him.  
"Alright, the rest of you should leave. Lunch is nearly over, and your classes shall be continuing soon." Pomfrey prompted with a smile, much to the children and Snape's annoyance, annoyance that they all voiced loudly. Draco shushed the others though, stating that Harry needed sleep and their noise would wake him.  
"I agree Mister Malfoy. Now, you five must leave. Severus, please inform Mister Malfoy's afternoon teachers that he's here." Pomfrey said, shooing the others our of the room, much to their complaint. Draco chuckled quietly before kicking his shoes off and holding Harry closer...


	11. Chapter 11

Harry woke slowly later that evening, warm and happy. He snuggled closer to the heat source he was cuddled up to, blinking his eyes open sleepily. At first, the black robes meant nothing to him, but when he looked up to see Draco's sleeping face, he froze. He tried to pull away carefully, but the slightest movement woke Draco.  
"Huh? Harry?" the blonde asked, loosening his grip on Harry.  
"Uh... Sorry for falling asleep on you." the desi winced, pulling away and sitting up.  
"It... It's fine Harry. I don't mind." Draco smiled, sitting up and stretching. Before Harry could reply, the infirmary doors were pushed open, Snape, Hermione and Ron entering, led by Pomfrey.  
"You three had better stay quiet, the boys were still sleeping when-" Pomfrey said before noticing Harry and Draco were awake, "Mister Potter! Mister Malfoy! You're awake."  
"Yeah... How long did we sleep?" Harry asked as Draco awkwardly fiddled with the edge of his sleeve.  
"A few hours. You both missed dinner, but Severus brought you both some food." Pomfrey replied, shutting the door once everyone was inside. Snape walked forward with two trays floating behind him, his wand out to keep them in the air. He made the trays drift onto the boys' laps with a flick, smiling minutely.   
"Thank you Professor!" Harry and Draco spoke in unison, giggling once they realised what they'd done.  
"Yes, yes. Eat up." Snape rolled his eyes fondly as the pair started to eat. Ron and Hermione told the boys about the lessons they'd missed that afternoon, including their first potions class.  
"You know Neville Longbottom, right? The one that lost his pet toad on the train?" Ron asked, waiting for Harry to nod before continuing, "He made his potion explode!"  
"How?" Harry questioned, leaning forward curiously. As Ron explained, Harry felt a shift in the air. He frowned, looking towards the door. There, peaking through, was a professor wearing a turban. He felt conflicted; anger, fear and some sort of twisted glee danced through his veins.  
"He... Hello Professor. I... Is everything okay?" Harry called, causing everyone else in the room to turn towards the teacher, and for him to freeze.  
"Quirrel." Snape spat, anger bubbling from him, "Why are you here?"  
"I... I heard that Mister Potter was ill. I... I thought I'd ch... check if he was alright." Quirrel stuttered, shrinking under Snape's gaze. His fear spiked, overwhelming his anger and joy.  
"Mister Potter is quite alright. You do not need to worry." Snape hissed, glaring at Quirrel with a hatred in his eyes. Quirrel flinched, but a new wave of anger burst from him, so strong it made Harry dizzy.  
"I... Apologises." the quaking professor muttered, even as his rage grew so strong is was suffocating. Never had Harry felt such pure, unadulterated hatred, not even from Vernon. He swayed, unable to breath through the anger.  
"Harry? Are you okay?" Hermione asked, frowning as Harry started to breath heavily.  
"Quirrel... Anger... Can't breath..." Harry gasped, dizzy and drained.  
"Quirrel. Out. Now!" Snape ordered, wandlessly slamming the door in Quirrel's face. As soon as the door was shut, Harry could breath. No longer was Quirrel's anger filling the room, but it could still be felt outside of the door, just muffled enough for Harry.  
"Harry? What is it?" Snape pressed, his worry the most prominent emotion in the room.  
"I... I'm fine. Quirrel was just... really angry. Too angry. It was... suffocating." Harry explained, taking a deep breath. The worry in the room, that of all the others, decreased slightly, but was still there.  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Snape asked, sitting on the free side of Harry's bed with a deep frown.  
"I am now. It was just... too much." Harry sighed, leaning onto Snape's shoulder. The professor stiffened before relaxing, surprised. Harry felt that surprise and felt embarrassed of his actions. He was about to move, but a wave of affection escaped Snape as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. The others in the room seemed astonished by the pairs actions as Snape slowly calmed.  
"So little one, Professor Quirrel was so angry you couldn't breath?" Pomfrey asked, and Harry nodded.  
"With people's emotions, it's like they're things in the air. Too many emotions, or too much of one, can overwhelm me." Harry explained before frowning, "Still. I've never felt such anger and hatred."  
"Really? He seemed more... scared." Ron asked, confused.  
"It was definitely anger and hate." Harry replied firmly, a deep frown marring his face (and, to nobody's surprise, he looked adorable even when stressed). Snape tapped his lip thoughtfully.  
"Could you tell who is was directed at?" he asked Harry as he gently played with the boys hair.  
"You and me." Harry replied simply, much to everyone's surprise.  
"You? Why would he hate you?" Draco looked shocked as he said that, softly stroking one of Harry's hands.  
"I... I don't know, honestly. But... He seemed off. Really off." Harry sighed, and Snape stroked his chin.  
"Hmm... Interesting..."


	12. Chapter 12

The group spoke about Quirrel and Harry's empathy ability for a while, before they all had to go to bed. That night, Harry lay awake for hours, afraid to sleep. Unfortunately, he could not keep his eyes open...

**"Freak, you'd better stop crying." Vernon ordered, glaring at Harry from his spot on the sofa. The desi boy was knelt by the coffee table, as he usually was when not doing chores, in his cupboard or at school. He tried to stop, but he was in so much pain. Vernon hadn't bothered to prep him the previous night, and, that with his most recent beating, left the child aching all over. Vernon growled and stood, stumbling over to Harry and grabbing his hair. He yanked Harry's hair, the smell of whiskey on his breath. Harry didn't even try fighting; he knew that would just lead to more pain. Vernon used his free hand to backhand Harry across the face. It was so powerful that, had Vernon not been holding his head, Harry would have fallen backwards. Vernon spat on the child's face, shoving him to the ground and kicking him in the groin. Since Vernon had not let him dress that morning, thinking the cold of the winter day would hurt him more, he felt it more than he usually would.**   
**"I. Said. Stop. Crying." the man spat, each word punctuated with a kick to a new part of Harry's exposed body. He took a malevolent glee in the child's pain, preferring to make up an excuse to hurt him more than to be kind to him. A feminine chuckle came from near the door as Petunia entered the room.**   
**"Is it being stubborn again?" she asked, venom in her voice and a wicked smirk playing at her lips.**   
**"Obviously." Vernon growled, kicking Harry one last time before going to stand by his wife. Harry couldn't help but cough, a small amount of blood escaping his mouth. He didn't need to look up to see the disgust and anger on his guardians' faces; he was surrounded by it. He could taste it, that bitter-sharp tang of disgust and red-hot, evil splash of hate. But he could taste something else, something bittersweet. Fear. But not just any fear; it was his cousin, Dudley. Dudley, the only person in that godforsaken house that had ever shown him any kindness.**   
**"Vernon, I found out something about our little Duddy that you might like to know." Petunia said in a sing song tone. Dudley, who Harry hadn't noticed sat on the second sofa, gulped. Vernon made an interested noise.**   
**"It turns out that our precious baby has betrayed our trust. He's helped the freak." Petunia spat, anger marring her features. Dudley shrank into himself as Vernon whipped his glare to his son.**   
**"He what?!?!" He yelled, undoing his belt slowly.**   
**"N... No! Don't hurt him! H... He just wanted to help! S... Stop!" Harry screamed, to no avail. Vernon advanced on Dudley, running his belt through his index and middle fingers.**   
**"N... No! Don't hurt him! Please! Hu... Hurt me instead! Stop!"**

Harry woke to the feeling of someone shaking his shoulders, and he instantly lashed out. A wave of power rushed out of him, shoving the offender away and to the floor. When he became aware of his surroundings, the child realized he'd accidentally hurt Madam Pomfrey, who was flopped on the floor. Slight fear, pain and amazement danced through the air. Harry shrank into himself, curling up and wrapping his arms around his head.  
"I... I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean to..." he stuttered, his breath coming in quick pants.  
How could I do that? How could I hurt her? I'm as bad as Vernon. I'm sorry. So sorry. Harry didn't realize he'd spoken his thoughts out loud, not until a firm voice spoke up.  
"It's okay Harry. I'm not hurt, not really. You're not like that... that thing!" Pomfrey pulled herself up before perching on the edge of Harry's bed. The child couldn't stop babbling apologises as he rocked himself back and forth. Pomfrey placed a gentle hand on Harry's back, but he flinched so hard he fell off of the bed.  
"Harry!" Pomfrey gasped, grabbing one of the boy's arms and pulling him back up. Harry curled into the woman's arms when she hugged him, sniffling slightly.  
"Shh... It's alright little one." Pomfrey whispered, gently rubbing Harry's back in soothing circles.  
"I... I'm sorry. So sorry. I..." Harry cut himself off with a quiet sob.  
"It's okay. You didn't hurt me. It's okay." Pomfrey reassured, letting the child nuzzle into her shirt. Harry shuddered and shivered, sobbing again. Pomfrey gently reassured the desi boy with her words and actions, letting Harry hug her until his sobs and tears subsided. Once he calmed enough, Harry pulled away, blushing.  
"S... Sorry." he stuttered, ducking his head.  
"It's alright, little one. You didn't mean to hurt me, and you didn't." Pomfrey smiled fondly at the boy, who still looked solemn. The pair sat in silence for a while, before Harry yawned.  
"Oh Harry... Would you like some dreamless sleep?" Pomfrey asked softly, and Harry nodded slightly. The nurse went to collect the potion before returning to Harry's side. She passed it to the boy, who gulped it down quickly. Pomfrey tucked Harry in when he lay down, smiling slightly.  
"Sleep well, little one." she called as she left.  
"G'night Madam Pomfrey!" Harry replied, snuggling into his bed. Pomfrey chuckled, turning her head to see the boy.  
"Call me Poppy, Harry." she said fondly, and Harry smiled.  
"Alright. Goodnight Poppy. Sleep well!"

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear up some plot holes, Harry was always really quiet, so he never acted like he did in the books (rather, he stuttered and tried to keep the Dursleys as happy as possible), and Dudley isn't a spoilt brat, but rather only acted that way because it stopped his parents from getting suspicious. He'd get it trouble if he was nice to Harry, so he acted like a jerk. Finally, Harry had never met Draco before they were both sorted into Slytherin.

When Harry woke the next morning, it was to Poppy and Snape talking quietly.  
"He's well enough Severus." Poppy muttered, forcing Harry to strain to hear.  
"Are you sure? He could fall ill again." Snape whispered back. The pair kept talking between themselves, but Harry could no longer hear, so he decided to reveal that he was awake.  
"Poppy? Professor? Is everything alright?" he asked, sitting upright on his bed. The adults jumped at the sound of the child's voice before turning towards him.  
"Harry! We didn't mean to wake you." Poppy said with a smile, as she approached Harry's bed.  
"You didn't; I always wake up early." Harry replied, returning the smile with one of his own.  
"...Poppy?" Snape asked, a slight hint of jealousy radiating from him.  
"When Harry woke from a nightmare in the early hours of this morning, I calmed him and told him he could call me by my first name." Poppy explained, mirth dancing in her eyes. She could tell Snape was jealous too.  
"Ah. I see. Well... Harry, you may call me by my name, when we're not in class." Snape said stiffly, causing the other two in the room to grin.  
"Thank you, Severus. I'd like that." Harry smiled up at his guardian, who coughed to cover the smile sneaking onto his face.  
"Little one, are you feeling well enough to go to class today?" Poppy asked, and Harry nodded enthusiastically. He couldn't wait to start his classes.  
"Alright then. I just need to do a few tests, but you should be able to leave in time to change into your robes and to go to breakfast." Poppy explained, her own smile growing when Harry voiced his consent to the tests. As Poppy preformed the tests, Severus watched Harry with a fond smile. He still couldn't quite believe that he was Harry's guardian, but he knew that he'd do anything for the child. Anything.

Time skip brought to you by Ron and Hermione arguing.

When Harry finally got to the great hall, breakfast had already started. He was quick to walk over to where his friends were sat. Once Ron and Hermione spotted him (Draco, Baise and Pansy were all sat facing away from him), Harry pressed a finger to his lips, signalling that they weren't to inform the others that he was there. He snuck up behind Draco before leaning down (but only a little, he was so short he didn't need to bend much) to whisper in his ear.  
"Guess who?" he whispered, causing Draco to jump. The blonde whipped around, starring at his shorter friend.  
"Harry? You're out of the infirmary?" he asked, surprise radiating from him.  
"Yep. Poppy gave me the all clear this morning." Harry replied, smiling at Baise when he shuffled along to let him sit down.  
"Poppy?" Pansy questioned from Draco's other side, slapping away a boy's hand so she could grab the last sausage.  
"Madam Pomfrey." Harry explained as he settled properly, rolling his eyes as Draco put two slices of bread with butter and jam on the plate that had appeared for him.  
"Pomfrey let's you call her Poppy?" Hermione blinked in surprise, elbowing Ron when he opened his mouth as he ate.  
"She seems to think I'll end up in the infirmary a lot. Something about a weak immune system?" Harry replied before nibbling on the edge of one of his slices of toast. Draco opened his mouth to comment, but a voice cut him off.  
"So you must be Harry. I'm Theodore Nott, but you can call me Theo." a boy sat a couple seats to Ron's left said, reaching over to shake Harry's hand. Admiration and curiosity danced from the boy in waves as Harry shook his hand, blushing. On his right, slight jealousy radiated from Draco. Once Theo let go of his hand, Harry lay his head on Draco's shoulder, causing the blonde's jealousy to instantly be overwhelmed by affection.  
"What lesson do we have first?" he asked, taking a sip of the glass of pumpkin juice Draco passed him.  
"Potions. Let's hope Snape's nice to us this time." Baise spoke up, smiling at the smaller boy, who cocked his head in confusion.  
"What do you mean?" Harry questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.  
"He missed our first lesson, but when he taught us yesterday he was rather... mean, to be blunt." Pansy replied before Baise could, smirking at a boy on her right when she got the last piece of bacon before him.  
"Oh? But... He seems so nice..." Harry tapped his lip in consideration.  
"Snape? Nice? You've gotta be crazy." an older girl laughed, causing Harry to shrink into himself.  
"He... He's only been n... nice to me... Except when I first a... arrived..." the desi boy stuttered, embarrassed.  
"Well, that's because you're too cute for anyone to be mean to." Pansy said, her tone suggesting it was obvious.  
"I... I'm not cute..." Harry blushed, causing the older student from before to coo.  
"You are too! You're just adorable." she grinned, and Draco glared at her.  
"You're making Harry uncomfortable. Please stop." the blonde hissed, pulling Harry closer. Suddenly, all the food disappeared as Professor Dumbledore stood.  
"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast. Now, it's time for lessons to begin!"

 


	14. Chapter 14

"Settle down!" Severus ordered, waiting for the class go quiet, "This lesson, you shall be working with whomever a random pair maker spell puts you with, and you'll be making a rather simple joy potion."  
The professor assigned all of the students a partner, making Draco look forlornly at Harry from his spot next to Pansy. Baise and Theo were partners, Hermione and Ron were working together, and Harry was paired with Neville Longbottom. Draco sighed before focusing on Severus's instructions.  
As Harry listened to Severus explain the potion and how to create it, he watched Neville from the corner of his eye. Although he couldn't make out the other boy's features properly, he could tell that he was very nervous and slightly scared. Once Severus finished his explanation, Harry turned towards Neville.  
"He... Hello. I'm Harry." the desi boy said, a shy smile playing at his lips.  
"I... Um... I'm Neville." Neville muttered, nerves radiating off of him.  
"L... Let's get started. It... It's a gallon of water first, r... right?" Harry asked, and the pair got started. Harry cut and prepped all the ingredients, telling Neville what to do. The boys worked quickly and effectively. After a while, Severus wandered over and checked their work.  
"Not bad. It's the right consistency and colour, for how much you've got done." he said monotonously, but Harry knew he was surprised that Neville had done so well.  
"Th... That's because Harry's good at potions, Sir." Neville replied, sending a shy smile to Harry, who blushed.  
"I figured. At least you haven't managed to make anything explode this time." Severus muttered before looking at Harry, who was carefully cutting up one of their ingredients, "That is well cut Potter."  
"Th... Thank you Sir. M... My aunt taught me how to c... cook." Harry replied with a small smile, but the fact that Petunia had taught (or, more likely, forced) the child to cook made anger burn in the teacher's veins.  
"Well, potions and cooking aren't too dissimilar." he replied, his lip ticking into the tiniest of smiles. Harry smiled back and turned to Neville, once Severus left. Surprise and admiration wafted from the older boy, making Harry feel self-conscious.  
"I... Is everything okay?" he stuttered, snapping Neville out of it.  
"Yes. I'm just... I'm surprised." Neville replied, "Professor Snape was rather... harsh yesterday, but he seems to like you."  
Harry shrugged, an embarrassed smile playing at his lips.  
"We... Well, I am in his house..." he murmured as he ducked his head.  
"Still... He wasn't too nice with a few other Slytherins yesterday. Maybe he just likes you?" Neville suggested innocently. Harry nodded.  
"Maybe..."

Time skip brought to you by McGonagall yelling at Dumbledore once she found out about Harry's abuse.

Harry fought off a yawn while he sat in the common room. He was perched next to the window that looked out into the Black Lake. Hermione and Draco had helped him catch up on the classes he had missed, so he had nothing to do for the rest of the evening. A shiver wracked the small child's body before a heating charm was cast on him.  
"Harry." Severus said, standing next to the child, "You should put on some more clothes of you're cold."  
"I don't have anything else I can wear Professor." Harry replied, looking up at his guardian, who frowned.  
"I see." the man sighed, "We'll have to buy you some more clothes."  
"You don't need to do that..." Harry trailed off, not wanting to cause any trouble for Severus.  
"Harry, you are now in my care until you are eighteen. I'm not going to leave you without what you need. I'm not your previous guardians; I will take proper care of you." Severus said firmly, placing a reassuring hand on his charge's shoulder. Harry smiled up at the man, his green eyes sparkling in the firelight.  
"Thank you." he whispered, and Severus's heart seized up. He hated that Harry seemed so genuinely awed by the fact that he offered him something as simple as clothes.  
"It's nothing." he replied stiffly, uncomfortable with his sudden surge of emotions, "Anyway, Poppy said she needs to see you. She mentioned something about needing to run a few tests."  
"Alright then. Let's go." Harry slid off of his seat before he and Severus started on their way to the infirmary.


	15. Chapter 15

"Alright little one. That's the last one." Poppy smiled as she finished casting the last health spell she had to. She had been going over Harry's notes throughout the day, and had decided that she needed some more information.  
"Can I go now?" Harry asked, swinging his legs as he sat, perched on one of the infirmary beds (specifically, one Poppy had shrunk slightly, so the child could climb it easily).  
"Not yet poppet. I need to go over your results, then decide a course of action." Poppy replied, using a self-writing quill to update Harry's notes.  
"A course of action?" Severus questioned as he and Harry both tilted their heads in confusion.  
"Yes. Harry's immune system is weak, and he will be suffering the aftereffects of his abuse for possibly years. I need to decide what kind of potions scheme he needs to be on, and I'll need your help. Harry has to stay so we can discuss it with him once we've decided." Poppy explained.  
"I see..." Severus trailed off.  
"Harry, while Severus and I discuss your treatment plan, would you like something to do?" Poppy asked, and Harry shrugged.  
"I don't know..." he replied, "The Dursleys never let me choose what I wanted to do..."  
"Well, here you can. Why don't you-" Poppy was cut off by a quiet hiss as a small snake slithered into sight. The baby albino adder was sliding across the floor, and Poppy had her wand out in an instant.  
"Wait! Don't hurt her! Harry yelled, causing Poppy to stop. The child turned his attention to the small reptile.  
"Hello there." he said softly, "What'ssss your name?"  
"You're a ssspeaker?" the snake replied, surprise radiating from her.  
"A ssspeaker?" Harry asked, tilting his head in confusion.  
"Yesss. Not many humansss can sssspeak to usss. We call thossse that can ssspeakersss." she answered, slithering towards Harry's bed.  
"Oh. That makesss ssensse." Harry replied, slipping off of his bed so he was sat on the floor.  
"Uh... Harry?" Poppy spoke up, "You... You're a parselmouth?"  
"A parselmouth?" Harry questioned, tilting his head as his new friend slithered closer to him.  
"Someone that can speak to snakes." Severus explained.  
"I guess so... Why don't you two go discuss what you need to, and I'll just talk to my new friend?" Harry suggested, reaching out to let the little snake slide onto his hand.  
"Uh... Alright. Just shout if you need us." Poppy said, pulling Severus into her office. Harry returned his attention to the adder.  
"Sssso, what'sss your name?" he asked, letting the snake slither up his arm, up to his neck.  
"I'm Vanessssa." she replied as she nuzzled into Harry's neck.  
"Vanessssa, huh? I'm Harry. It'sss a pleasssure to meet you." Harry smiled as his new friend tickled his neck.  
"Harry? I like it. Nice to meet you Ssspeaker Harry..."

Meanwhile, in Pomfrey's office.

"So, Harry will need to be on a strict regime of potions. We'll start him off on just supplement potions, one at breakfast, before slowly working him up to four at said meal, a bone strengthener a day, and an immunity booster once a week. Do you think you would be able to handle that?" Poppy said, noting down the list as she said it.  
"I believe so." Severus replied, frowning as he also made a list. He didn't like that Harry would need so many potions, or that he was so weak he couldn't even have all of the aforementioned potions without having to work up to it.  
"Good. We'll have to discuss it with Harry, but I'm sure he'll be fine with it." Poppy said, stretching before walking over to the door. Severus followed, but froze by the doorway once he saw Harry. The desi boy was laying on the bed with his new reptile friend curled up on his stomach. The pair were talking quietly, soft hissing sounds escaping their mouths. Affection bubbled up inside of him, overflowing as he watched his child talking with his new pet.  
"Hello little one. How're you?" Poppy smiled as she walked over to Harry.  
"Good. Vanessa was just telling me about her life in the Hogwarts grounds. She loves the Forbidden Forest, but hates the spiders there. She gets on with the centaurs though." Harry explained with a grin, stroking the snakes back softly. Fondness for the boy flooded the room, escaping from both adults.  
"That's wonderful little one." Poppy said, stopping by Harry's bed, quickly followed by Severus, "Do you mind if we discuss your treatment plan?"  
"Of course! But I... Uh... I may have to stay like this for a while. Vanessa doesn't want to move." Harry replied, shyly smiling at his snake. Poppy launched into her explanation of Harry's treatment plan, letting Severus state his input occasionally. Harry agreed to the plan readily, excited that he may become healthier. The trio decided that they'd start Harry on the potions the next morning, so Severus had time to inform the elves and staff, as well as to actually brew the potions. Once the discussion was complete, Severus took Harry back to the dorms. The child went straight to bed, but not before wishing Severus and Vanessa goodnight. The professor sighed deeply before carrying Harry's snake out of the room.  
"Well, Vanessa, it seems I'm going to have to convince our fool of a headmaster to let Harry keep you... Wish me luck."


	16. Chapter 16

A lone child sat on a windowsill in a quiet dungeon. All his fellow students were asleep, but the boy could not sleep himself. He'd woken to another nightmare, this time about a bright green light, screaming and a chilling laugh, and did not wish to be a prisoner in his own subconscious, for the rest of the night at least. So, he stared out, watching as a giant squid swam through the dark water. All was quiet in the common room, the only noises that of the child's breathing and the crackling fire. Harry sighed, his breath fogging up the glass. He was so tired of the nightmares. They'd been plaguing him for as long as he could remember, and he was sick of them. He only ever got an hour or two of sleep, and even that was restless. He shivered before muttering a quick heating charm. Severus had taught him how to cast the charm (with a wand, but Harry had left his on the drawers next to his bed, so he had to do it wandlessly) the previous night, whilst still in the infirmary, because he got cold so easily. Once warmth had enveloped him, Harry relaxed. He felt surprisingly at home at Hogwarts, but that was probably because no one there seemed to hate him. Except Professor Quirrel, that is. Harry didn't understand why Quirrel hated him, but something about his hatred seemed familiar... It had a bitter, tangy taste and a sour scent. It felt like being burnt, it was an unusual mix of swirling green (the same as the one from Harry's nightmare, coincidentally) and violent red, and sounded of screams. It was surrounding, suffocating, terrifying. As Harry pondered the reason for Quirrel's hate, the sun started to rise. After a while, Severus entered the common room, surprise floating from him in silvery waves.  
"Harry? Why are you awake? Students don't need to be up for another half an hour." the professor asked, stepping forward. His hands were behind his back, and Harry could smell some sort anticipation wafting from him and whatever he was holding.  
"Nightmare." Harry explained, standing and stretching.  
"Ah. I see... Well, I have a surprise for you." Severus said, a small smile threatening to take over.  
"What is it?" Harry asked eagerly, tilting his head adorably (not that he knew he looked adorable). Severus actually smiled now, moving his hands in front of him. There, curled up comfortably, was Vanessa.  
"I spoke to Professor Dumbledore, and he said you may keep Vanessa." he explained, much to Harry's delight.  
"Really?" the desi boy whispered, awe in his tone.  
"Of course." Severus replied, stepping forward to hand Vanessa over to Harry.  
"Thank you..." Harry grinned, taking his snake and placing her on his shoulder before hugging Severus. The teacher froze before hugging Harry back, his heart squeezing. After a few moments, they let go of each other, both a little embarrassed (but ultimately happy) by the display of affection. They shared a small smile before Severus coughed awkwardly.  
"Well, why don't you get dressed while I transfigure a habitat for Vanessa?" he suggested, and Harry nodded.  
"Alright. Can I take Vanessa to the dorms? I'll make sure she behaves." the child replied, hope shining in his emerald eyes.  
"Of course. Just put her on your bed while you change, alright?" Severus asked, and Harry agreed. As the child went off to change, Severus pondered over what was not needed, and that could be transfigured without causing any problems. After a while, he decided that a broken cauldron he had in his office would be his best bet. He went into his office and changed the cauldron quickly. It became a clear glass box, with a variation of greenery and stones. As he carried the habitat back to the common room, Severus congratulated himself on his work. He only had to wait a couple of minutes before Harry reappeared in his robes, Vanessa's white noodle body wrapped around the back of his neck.  
"Hello!" the boy smiled, walking over to his guardian.  
"Hello Harry." Severus smiled back, "Do you like Vanessa's new habitat?"  
"I love it! But... Uh... Vanessa thinks it's a bit small." Harry replied sheepishly.  
"That's alright; it's just somewhere for her to sleep. She's free to roam the grounds, as long as she keeps out of trouble and returns here every night." Severus explained, reaching down and running a finger down Vanessa's back. She hissed something to Harry, and he chuckled. Severus tilted his head in a silent question.  
"She says she likes you." Harry explained, then blushed when Vanessa hissed again.  
"What'd she say now?" Severus asked fondly, carefully taking the snake from Harry and placing her in her new habitat.  
"Th... That you seem like a nice nest mother." Harry replied shyly, ducking his head as his cheeks darkened even more. Severus blushed too, but before he could speak, a blonde boy appeared from the dorms.  
"Hello Harry, Professor. How... Are you alright? You're both bright red! You're not ill, are you?" Draco asked worriedly, and Harry smiled fondly.  
"No, we're fine. Vanessa just said something embarrassing." he replied, his answer causing relief to flood from Draco.  
"Vanessa? She's here?" Draco asked excitedly. Harry nodded and moved so Draco could see the snake, who was curled up on top of a rock. She tilted her head as the blonde stepped forward, awed.  
"Harry? Who isss he?" she questioned, watching Draco suspiciously.  
"He'sss my friend, Draco. I told him about you lasssst night." Harry explained, "Would you mind if he sssstroked you?"  
"Only if you hold me." Vanessa replied, and Harry nodded. He lifted her gently, letting her slither up his arm until she wrapped around the back of his neck.  
"She said you can pet her. But be gentle!" he told Draco, who reached out and gently stroked the top of Vanessa's head. She hissed contently, and Harry smiled.  
"What'd she say?" Draco asked softly.  
"That she likes you."  
"I like her too."


	17. Chapter 17

As Harry sat eating breakfast, Vanessa curled around his neck yet again, Severus came over with a potion in hand.  
"You're potion." he said curtly, putting it down next to Harry. The boy smiled up at Severus sweetly.  
"Thank you!" he beamed before downing the liquid in one go. He then handed the flask the potion had come in back to the professor, who nodded before leaving. When Harry turned back to his friends, they were all looking confused.  
"Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey agreed that I have a really weak immune system, so they decided that I needed to be on supplement potions. They plan to work me up to immunity boosters, but, apparently, they can't until my immune system is a bit stronger." Harry explained, giving Vanessa a small piece of bacon. All of his friends seemed to like the snake, but Harry was worried about what would happen during lessons. Vanessa had told him that she was an orphan, that her mother had been killed by a cat in the grounds, and that he was her new parent. He knew that the baby adder needed to be with him, but he didn't know if that would be allowed. As he pondered this, he nibbled a piece of toast. He let himself relax, reaching out so he could feel everyone's emotions. Although he did find too many emotions suffocating occasionally, that was only when they surprised him. Having been forced to go through school, Harry was used to having to control how sensitive he is to emotions, knowing when it was okay for him to reach and when it could potentially hurt him. He figured that, if he slowly relaxed himself into it, he could handle his school mates' emotions. He'd done it at his previous school. As the boy reached, he felt everything from joy to homesickness, love to hate. As he reached, he came across a familiar anger, although it was toned down. Harry looked around the hall, only to spot Quirrel glaring at him. He shrunk under the teacher's gaze, but Quirrel quickly looked away, once he noticed that Harry had seen him. The boy frowned, drawing Draco's attention to him.  
"Harry? Is everything okay?" the blonde asked worriedly, frowning himself.  
"Oh! I'm fine. I was just thinking about what Vanessa will do when we're in class." Harry replied reassuringly, smiling at his friend. Vanessa, who had been nuzzling Harry's neck, perked up at the mention of her name.  
"What do you mean?" she questioned, slithering so she could look Harry in the eye.  
"I won't be allowed to have you with me in classss, and I'm worried you might get hurt if you wander around on your own." Harry hissed back, and his pet made QN unhappy noise.  
"But I want to ssstay with you!" Vanessa whined, headbutting Harry's chin softly.  
"I know Vanessssa, but I don't have a choice." Harry explained, stroking Vanessa's head soothingly.  
"But-" Vanessa whimpered, but a voice by Harry's side cut her off.  
"Harry." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling, "Severus told me you had a pet snake. One from the grounds, if I'm not mistaken?"  
"Ye.... Yes Sir. Va.... Vanessa is an or... orphaned adder from th... the grounds." Harry replied shyly, and Vanessa hissed.  
"Bad man... He wantssss to ussse you Harry." she whispered, glaring at Dumbledore the best she could.  
"It'ssss fine Vanessssa. He can't hurt me; Sssseverusss wouldn't let him." Harry hissed back, much to Dumbledore's surprise.  
"Severus never mentioned that you're a paurselmouth." the old man said, blinking in confusion.  
"I... Uh... Yes." Harry stuttered awkwardly.  
"Interesting... Very interesting..." Dumbledore murmured before smiling at Harry, "Anyway, I have been meaning to speak to you."  
"D... Did I do something w... wrong?" Harry asked, worried. If he'd done something wrong, Dumbledore would have to send him back to the Dursleys. At least, that's what he thought. But Severus would never let that happen.  
"No, of course not. I just-" Dumbledore was cut off by a cool voice.  
"Is everything alright Albus?" Professor McGonagall questioned, glaring at her boss. The old man shrank under her gaze, wincing slightly.  
"Of course Minerva, I was just speaking to young Harry about his pet snake." Dumbledore replied, a fake smile plastered on his face. Fear reeked from him, smelling of something burnt and sour.  
"I somehow doubt that." Severus growled, anger dancing from him in rust coloured waves. Harry flinched slightly at the rage, something all of the teachers noticed.  
"Are you alright, Mister Potter?" McGonagall asked softly, and the child blushed, embarrassed by his reaction.  
"O... Of course Professor." he whispered before feeling an arm around his shoulders.  
"Apologises, but you three are causing Harry distress. If there is a problem, could you please discuss it elsewhere?" Draco spoke confidently, even as nerves radiated off of him with the sound of a butterfly flapping.  
"I need to speak with Harry." Dumbledore insisted, but his employees weren't having it.  
"I believe you've caused enough damage, where Harry is involved." Severus hissed, "Just leave him be."  
"But-"  
"Do as Severus says."  
"But I-"  
"It's time for the students to go class, don't you agree?" Severus growled, "Breakfast is over!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry it took so long to write this! And sorry it's so short. I've been busy with family, school and friend stuff.

As Harry sat in his first transfiguration class, he couldn't help but wonder what it was Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about. He considered, but he hadn't done anything wrong, so it probably had something to do with Voldemort. A voice pulled him from his thoughts.  
"Wands out students." Professor McGonagall called, "You'll be transfiguring a rat into a teacup today. If you need help, speak to the person next to you or put your hand up."  
Harry turned to Draco, a question on his lips, but the blonde spoke first.  
"Professor McGonagall taught us how to transfigure last lesson. Do you want me to teach you?" he asked, taking out his wand.  
"Yes please!" Harry replied with a grin, grasping his wand. Draco demonstrated how to do the spell, but it didn't quite work. While the rat did become the shape of a teacup, it was still slightly furry.  
"Well, that didn't work..." Draco muttered, frowning. Professor McGonagall decided to walk over at that moment.  
"Not bad for only your second attempt Mister Malfoy. Mister Potter, are you going to try?" she said, turning her attention to the desi boy.  
"I... Uh... Sure..." Harry stuttered before copying what Draco did. The blonde boy gasped slightly at the result.  
"I... Well done Mister Potter. Excellent work." McGonagall praised as she picked up Harry's teacup, waves of pastel pink awe and deep purple surprise floating from her. The delicate China teacup was decorated with silver does and emerald butterflies literally dancing on a black background. It was stunning.  
"Th... Thank you Professor." Harry blushed, ducking his head shyly. McGonagall smiled slightly before clearing her throat. Harry looked up.  
"Well, why don't you help Mister Malfoy?" McGonagall suggested, and Harry nodded. The professor moved on as Harry and Draco turned to each other.  
"Please teach me." Draco asked, awe chiming in the air around him. Harry started to explain as the does and butterflies on his teacup danced with each other...

Time skip brought to you by McGonagall and Severus yelling at Dumbledore.

Defence Against the Dark Arts. The class Harry both dreaded and desired. He wanted to learn new spells, but he didn't know if he could deal with Quirrel's hatred of him. But he was in for a surprise...  
When the class arrived at the DADA lesson, they found that the classroom smelled vaguely of garlic, and the teacher muttering to himself.   
"Uh... Professor?" Hermione spoke up after the students had spent ten minutes waiting for him to notice them, without any success.  
"Oh! S... Students." Quirrel stuttered, jumping at Hermione's voice, "Ap... Apologises. Come in."  
As the class filed in and took their seats, Harry couldn't help but notice that Quirrel was glaring at him again. Once everyone was sat down, the teacher started the lesson...

Time skip brought to you by Vanessa sneakily following Harry.

"Al... Alright students. Do... Does anyone have any q... questions?" Quirrel asked as the lesson started to draw to a close. A few hands went up, and Quirrel chose one.  
"Ms. G... Granger?" he asked.  
"Why does it smell like garlic?" Hermione questioned, and a ripple of agreement went through the students; they all wanted to know too.  
"I... Uh... Well, I had a ra... rather bad experience with vampires a few years back." Quirrel explained (or, to be exact, he lied). Harry heard the hiss of his lie, and frowned deeply.  
"Where did you get your turban from Professor?" Hermione asked, sweet smelling curiosity escaping her in waves.  
"Fr... From an African prince. I... I helped him with a z... zombie problem." Quirrel stuttered. Another lie.  
"Really? How'd you do that?" one of the Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, asked excitedly.  
"I... Uh... Well, look at the weather! It's a w... wonderful day Cl... Class finishes soon, so e... enjoy it! Pl... Please pack away!" Quirrel squeaked, leaving Harry with the feeling that he was hiding something. Something dark...


	19. Chapter 19

The rest of the week passed without incident, and by the time Friday rolled around, Harry was settled in. As he sat with his friends that morning, he watched hundreds of owls flutter in. When he'd seen the owls for the first time, Harry had nearly had a heart attack. Thankfully, Draco explained why they came in, and the smaller boy understood. It was on that particular Friday morning Harry's own owl, Hedwig, arrived with a note for the boy. As the snowy owl perched on his head, eyeing Vanessa warily, Harry unfolded his note. On it, written in a very untidy scrawl, were the following words:  
'Dear Harry,  
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.  
Hagrid.'  
Harry paused to consider it. He did like the man, but he didn't like how he seemed to worship the ground Dumbledore walked on. Or the fact that he was the one to give him to the Dursleys, even if it was on someone else's orders. Harry was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Severus arriving at the Slytherin table until the man put his potion on the table. The boy startled, jumping slightly.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Severus apologized, "I'm just giving you your potion."  
"I... It's fine. I was just thinking." Harry replied, drinking the potion quickly.  
"Oh?" Severus prompted, resting a hand on the boy's back. Vanessa slithered up his arm, settling on his shoulder.  
"Hagrid sent a note, asking me to tea." Harry explained, relaxing slightly.  
"Do you plan on going?" Severus asked.  
"I'm not sure." Harry admitted, "I want to, but I don't trust him."  
"If you don't want to go alone, why don't you take your friends?" Severus suggested, a hint of a smile playing at his lips as he stroked Vanessa's back with his free hand.  
"Hmm..." Harry considered it, tapping his lip, "That sounds like a good plan. Who wants to come with me?"  
"I will!" Draco, Hermione and Ron replied simultaneously. Harry smiled softly.  
"Alright then! I'll reply and say we're going!" he said, before frowning, "Wait... I don't have a quill with me..."  
"Here." Severus pulled a self-inking quill from a secret pocket in his robes and handing it to Harry, who took it with a sweet smile.  
"Thank you!" the desi boy took the quill and scratched down a quick reply. Hedwig hopped onto the table and held out her leg so Harry could reattach the note. The boy did so quickly before feeding her a piece of bacon and kissing the top of her head. The snowy owl nipped Harry's hand affectionately before fluttering off.  
"Don't be out after dark." Severus reminded, squeezing Harry's shoulder softly.  
"I know." Harry grinned up at his guardian, letting out a chuckle when he realized that Vanessa had slithered up to curl on top of Severus's head.  
"Oh shush you." Severus rolled his eyes, but a tiny smile pulled at his lips, "Can you convince her to leave me be?"  
"I'll try." Harry replied, before switching to parsletongue, "Come on Vanesssa. Ssseverusss needsss to go."  
"But he'sss nicce. I want to ssstay with him, if I can't sstay with you!" the young snake hissed back, causing Harry to roll his eyes affectionately.  
"What did she say?" Severus asked, carefully keeping his head still so the snake wouldn't fall.  
"She wants to stay with you, if she can't stay with me." Harry translated smiling up at Severus.  
"...I guess she can, as long as she doesn't cause any trouble." Severus caved begrudgingly, although Harry could taste the sugary waves of affection wafting from him. He smiled up at Severus, and the teacher gave him a quick smile back before his face became neutral again.  
"Anyway then, finish your breakfast. I'll see you in potions." Severus said softly, squeezing Harry's should softly before leaving Vanessa still curled up on his head. Harry turned back towards his friends, only to see literally everyone at the Slytherin table staring at him. He shrank into himself, anxiety welling in his chest.  
"Wh... What? Is s... something wrong?" he stuttered, his shoulders rising up to his ears.  
"How... Why... What the fuck was that?" one of the fifth years asked, burgundy surprise surrounding him. A boy on his left elbowed him quickly before facing Harry.  
"Sorry about my boyfriend's language." the second boy apologized, "Jacob is just surprised."  
"S... Surprised? Wh... Why?" Harry whispered, but since everyone on the table was watching in rapt silence, his voice was heard by quite a few of them.  
"Well... Professor Snape is not usually so kind. Not even to Slytherins." the boy replied, his boyfriend -Jacob, Harry thinks- nuzzling into his side.  
"He... He went here wi... with my parents, and w... was friends with my mum. Th... That's all." Harry explained, curling in on himself slightly.  
"Professor Snape was friends with your mum?" Theodore Nott gasped, lavender scented shock drifting from him. Harry nodded, but before any other words could be exchanged, Dumbledore stood.  
"Well children, off you go to class!"

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! I wanted to make a thing out of the gang visiting Hagrid, and figured this chapter would end up too long if I did it here.

As Harry sat in his Potions class, he couldn't help but feel an unusual amount of fondness. Severus was speaking about the uses of various potion ingredients, but it was not the man talking that made Harry feel so fond. It was, in fact, Vanessa. The albino adder was curled up on Severus's head, her pale colouring greatly contrasting the man's dark hair. She was hissing gently, her tongue flicking Severus's ear as she made the occasional comment. Harry felt a weird sense of happiness at the fact that his new friend and his new guardian were getting along so well, even with a language barrier. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Severus's voice.  
"Potter." the professor drawled, "Can you tell me what I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"  
"Um... A sleeping po... potion? The Dr... Draught of Living Death, I... I think?" Harry replied after taking a moment to remember.  
"Very good." Severus praised before turning his attention to Neville, "Longbottom. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
The Gryffindor boy paled slightly as Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
"It... It's a stone found in the stomach of a goat." Neville answered, his eyes slightly glazed over with fear.  
"Hmm, I guess you aren't completely stupid. Weasley, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Severus then asked, looking vaguely pleased. At this point, Hermione was stretching her hand as high as she could without leaving her seat.  
"I don't know, sir." Ron replied, a small tremor in his voice.  
"Tut, tut. They are actually the same plant, and also go by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all writing this down?" Severus said, and there was the sudden noise of quills on parchment. The lesson continued uneventfully for a while, as Severus set the students off in pairs to create a simple potion to cure boils. As Ron and Harry set about weighing dried nettles and crushing snake fangs (which kinda made Harry feel bad, as Vanessa had slithered over and onto his shoulders at that point), Severus swept around in his long black coat. He criticised many students, whilst complimenting Harry, Draco and Hermione (although, Draco and Hermione were working together, so...) on their work. There was only minimal noise, partners whispering about their work together, until there was an ear piercing scream. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus Finnegan's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning into people's shoes. Within seconds, the students had climbed onto their stools, all except Neville. The boy, who had been drenched with the potion when the cauldron collapsed,  moaned in pain as angry red boils started to spring up on him.  
"Idiot boy! Severus snarled, clearing the potion away with a single sweep of his wand, " I suppose you added the porcupine quills before removing the cauldron from the fire? "  
Neville just groaned as boils popped up on his nose.  
"Get him to the hospital wing." Severus snapped, "And that's five points from Gryffindor!"  
As Seamus shuffled off with the other boy, Harry couldn't help but worry.  
"Professor?" the desi boy asked, "Will Ne... Neville be okay?"  
"Of course." Severus sighed, gently placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Madam Pomfrey knows how to deal with this situation."  
Harry wasn't sure if he believed Severus, but he trusted the man. He nodded slightly, and Severus returned his nod.  
"Alright then. Students, that will do it for class today." the professor called out. The entire class started to pack away, but Harry was still worried...


End file.
